<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Tourney by ashangel101010</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29899764">A Tourney</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashangel101010/pseuds/ashangel101010'>ashangel101010</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Co-Guardian Vader [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Fluff, Gen, Jousting, M/M, Reunions, Serphidi (Star Wars), Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:27:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29899764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashangel101010/pseuds/ashangel101010</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doom-Joust can have only one champion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux &amp; Brendol Hux &amp; Triclops, Armitage Hux &amp; Daine Jir, Armitage Hux &amp; Darth Vader, Brendol Hux &amp; Luke Skywalker, Brendol Hux/Triclops</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Co-Guardian Vader [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1532138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Tourney</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I own nothing in the Star Wars universe or anything in any universe; I just like writing stories in that universe.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A Tourney</p><p>*</p><p>Main Theme- You Don’t Own Me by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts</p><p>*</p><p>            Serphidi is a medieval world inhabited by the Serps. Hundreds of cycles ago, they had technology as advanced as the Old Republic’s if not more so, but it brought their race to near-extinction. Technology was then outlawed, and the people contented themselves in living without the commodities of modernity. However, the decree did not extend to the <em>aliens </em>from other worlds. And for decades, spacefaring visitors enjoyed this provincial planet, particularly its tournament season.    </p><p>Brendol Hux has been going to the tournaments held on Serphidi since he was a slave. However, this is the first year that he brought the family along sans Maratelle who is using the manor for her book club.  </p><p>“Bren, can you hold Armitage? I have to clean everything.” Brendol receives Armitage with open arms, and Rama replaces him with a broom. Rama uses the broom to sweep cobwebs out of the rental kitchen/food stall. He has several cubes filled with pre-baked meat pies and sweets by the wooden stove.</p><p>“Do you need any help? I can get more firewood.”</p><p>“No, but thank you, my Bren. You go to your little reunion and make sure to reapply sunblock on him every two hours.” Rama gives him a peck on the cheek and another on Armitage’s coconut-scented forehead.</p><p>“We’ll be back for lunchtime.”</p><p>“I’ll have a nerf herder’s pie ready for you.”</p><p>“Pie!”</p><p>“And your priest pie will be waiting too!”</p><p>“Love you!” Armitage shouts.</p><p>“I love you too, my heart. Same goes for you, my Bren.”</p><p>“I’ll always love you.”</p><p>Bren and Armitage depart with smiles and head down the lane. They pass by some sex workers pitching their tents; some stop to coo at Armitage who coos back like a little bird. They keep moving until they make it to the cul-de-sac with the registration board and finds Brin and Bahb waiting at the back of the line.</p><p>“Bren has a baby.” Brin looks at him with slight horror. The Nagai wears a white tunic with a dip that revels another inky tattoo and purple cotton trousers that show off his long legs. His long, black hair nearly obscures the tattoo beneath his left eye.</p><p>“He looks exactly like you, Bren!” Bahb exclaims. The Zeltron wears his signature green tunic with a dip to his magenta navel. His hair is perfectly coiffed and will most certainly get ruined by tournament’s end.</p><p>“I did help make him.” Brendol puts Armitage down to let him toddle to the pair. Brin looks at him with curiosity like a wary cat, while Bahb hoists up the lad like he was his own.</p><p>“Where’s the other parent?” Brin inquires.</p><p>“Selling meat pies and sweets. Where’s Antaria?”</p><p>“Fighting pits. She registered the moment the tournament began.” Bahb chirps.</p><p>“Did the prizes go up this year?”</p><p>“Yeah! I don’t know why exactly, but I guess King S’Shah wants to prove that he’s in charge or something.”</p><p>“It’s more like none of his people we’re going to sign up because of the tech he’s employing.”</p><p>“Tech? Is he allowing blasters?”</p><p>“More like deathly droids in the jousting, but we don’t have to worry about that.” Only Serps could participate in the jousts. The jousts had high prestige in the tournaments and usually had the better prizes.  </p><p>“Why droids?”</p><p>“Because King S’Shah promised whoever can defeat him in one of his <em>Doom-Jousts</em> then that person can rule Serphidi. Let’s just say he’s extremely unpopular with the people, but they’re too afraid of his droids to challenge him directly.” Bahb flicks his wrist and then loses a thumb and pinky to Armitage’s little hands.</p><p>“Sounds like they need some mercenaries.”</p><p>“They can’t afford us.” Brin snorts.</p><p>“Besides, S’Shah is bringing in the man who supplied him with the droids.”  </p><p>“And what company has a stake on this backwards world?”</p><p>“Apparently, a <em>Darth Vader</em>.”</p><p>“Vader!” Armitage’s smile reveals most of his baby teeth.</p><p>“Sounds like the cardinal chick knows him!” Bahb says in a goofy voice to earn a giggle from the toddler.</p><p>“He’s like a family friend.”</p><p>“Wasn’t he the guy who murdered all the Jedi?”</p><p>“That was mostly the clones, but, yeah, he killed many.” <em>Along with his Inquisitorius which is just a shell of its former self. The Emperor will have them killed just like the Church of the Dark Side by war’s end. </em></p><p>“Will Antaria be in danger?” Brin asks.</p><p>“She washed out of the Order like a few years before the Clone Wars and she came from a temple that no one cared about, so I’d say she’s safe since Vader has never met her. Besides, she doesn’t have the Force anymore.” <em>Though if I do seem them in the same vicinity, I’ll just have Armitage distract Vader. </em></p><p>“But will Vader be safe?” Brin counters.</p><p>“He uses the Force like Jean Grey uses telekinesis.” Brin stares blankly at him. “What I’m saying is he can defend himself.”</p><p>“Antaria is not exactly a model of self-restraint.”</p><p>“But she’s intelligent enough not to pick a fight with someone she can’t win, especially with a Force-user like him.”  </p><p>“Besides, she’s going to be exhausted from beating the stuffing out of everyone!” Bahb singsongs to keep Armitage entertained.</p><p>“Will you be joining her in the melee?” Brin asks.</p><p>“I was thinking of just sitting out the entire tourney.”</p><p>“Pity, I would’ve loved a rematch.”</p><p>“Maybe next year.”</p><p>*</p><p>Antaria Wellos finds a tooth in her hair. She felt something scratch her scalp and believed it was just gravel from when that Serp pinned her to the cobblestone for a fleeting second. Instead, the sharp tooth must’ve lodged itself into her scalp when she gave him a headbutt to his mouth. She won the match and was rewarded with a gold statue of a two-headed cow.</p><p>“That’ll be a head for my services.” Doctor Ergo says while washing her gloved hands.</p><p>“I just found a tooth in my hair.”</p><p>“Is there blood on the point?”</p><p>“No, but there’s a bit of gum.”</p><p>“Then, you’re fine.” Ergo grunts and turns the knob of the sink hard enough for it to screech.</p><p>“You okay, Doc? You’ve been really…tense.” Earlier, Antaria witnessed Ergo almost stab an uppity Serp patient with her scalpel.</p><p>“I’ll be better once I leave the planet.”</p><p>“But the tournament isn’t over. Hells, the so-called Doom-Joust will give you all the half-dead patients you need!”</p><p>“The Empire is coming.”</p><p>“Like the Atreides Empire?”</p><p>“The Galactic Empire!”</p><p>“Oh, that one.”</p><p>“It doesn’t bother you that those <em>tyrants </em>are coming here?”</p><p>“If you’re so opposed to them, then why do you go to their medical schools?” Doctor Ergo is not a licensed doctor, but a medical student who needs to make credits on the side to afford her pricey education.</p><p>“It’s not liked the Rebellion has their own schools.” She mutters and grabs a storage cube to stuff her medical equipment in. “Besides, it wouldn’t look good for me to be caught here.”</p><p>“Is it because you help disgusting non-humans such as myself at an affordable rate? Or is it because you’re still a medical student?”</p><p>“I bet the former!” She shouts and then takes a deep breath. She exhales a moment later, but Antaria can see the helpless anger all over her face.</p><p>
  <em>Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to something. Kriff, it’s probably the Dark Side since everything led to that, but all I wanted was that snooty Master to shut the pfassk up. </em>
</p><p>“You know I could take out a few of them. The ones that Vader won’t miss but would result in costly state funerals. Just don’t charge me.”</p><p>Ergo gives her a stern look.</p><p>“I’d rather have the gold.”</p><p>*</p><p>After lunch, at Rama’s behest, Brendol takes himself and Armitage to Harmony Glade for fresh air. They go there by horseback on a rented, dappled horse named <em>Cloudy</em>. The horse bears them without complaint and even allows Armitage to poorly braid her mane. They head into a forest sparsely populated with oaks and firs. The well-trodden path takes them up to a hill and halts from the fray at the bottom of the hill.</p><p>A Serp, male since he has red skin and blue eyes, is being held aloft by a creature made of flower stalks and leaves, while an awfully familiar human with yellow hair slashes at it with his lightsaber. He takes off the creature’s arm, causing the creature to howl like a dying akk dog. The poor creature scuttles off deeper into the forest. Luke Skywalker goes over to help the Serp up until he hears the horse neighs. A Serp female, orange-skinned with a crest of stubby horns, goes to help her husband up during Luke’s distraction.</p><p>“Bren?”</p><p>“Hey, Luuke.” Brendol greets casually. Luke looks at him curiously for messing up his name but then his eyes widen as the young man finally remembers the false name he gave.</p><p>“Hi, Luke!” Armitage gets the name right.</p><p>“It’s, uh, Luuke.” Luke corrects half-heartedly.</p><p>“He’s two and a half, Luuke. The less syllables, the easier it is for him to remember.” Bren replies. Armitage watches the blue lightsaber.</p><p>“He’s yours?” Luke asks and powers down his lightsaber, earning a quiet sigh from Armitage.</p><p>“I sired him. There is no mother.”</p><p>“Oh!” Luke relaxes and pauses like he’s trying to find something more to say. “You grew a beard!”</p><p>“It’s summer vacation at my workplace, so I don’t have to look clean-cut.” <em>I could grow out my beard at any time since Desolous’s demise, but I’m used to being this way. </em></p><p>“You look really ha-great!” Luke’s cheeks are red because he rightfully knows that Brendol understood what he was going to say. Thankfully, the Serps spare them from another minute of awkwardness.</p><p>“I must thank you, young human, for saving my wife and I from the carnivorous plant.” The Serp husband begins.</p><p>“It was nothing! I’m sure anyone would do the same!” Luke says humbly as he basks in their adulation.</p><p>“You were able to drive it away with your magical sword!” The wife exclaims.</p><p>“Uh, it’s a lightsaber.” Luke glances at Brendol with worry, but Brendol makes sure to keep his face blank.</p><p>“Lightsaber!” Armitage shouts and raises a little fist in the air.</p><p>“<em>Light Saber</em>? It’s a bit plain for a sword’s name.” The wife’s attention is then drawn to Armitage. She gasps.</p><p>“Oh my, he has the pox!”</p><p>“No. Those are freckles, and some humans can get them when exposed to the sun for some time.”</p><p>“He must be thirsty from being in the sun for so long.” She looks at Luke with a smile. “You must be famished from the fight.”</p><p>“I could go for some cookies and blue milk.” Luke admits sheepishly.</p><p>“Milk!” Armitage waves his little fist.</p><p>*</p><p>Luke Skywalker didn’t think that he would ever see Bren again or use his bogus name again. But here he is at a table with Bren, his son, and two Serps he recently saved. The fish-bread is stale, but the salty butter makes up for it. The blue milk is wonderfully cold. Armitage laps at it like a kitten, while Bren drinks it slowly. Luke almost grins at the milky remains clinging to Bren’s burgeoning beard.</p><p>“This is a nice home you have here.” Luke says.</p><p>“Elglih built our home.” The wife says proudly.</p><p>“Back when I was young, and my teeth were strong.” Elglih mutters.</p><p>“It’s not like strong teeth belies wisdom, dear.”</p><p>“Wisdom can’t protect us from S’Shah’s evil robots.”</p><p>“Evil robots? There are droids here?” Luke hasn’t gone into town, but the farmsteads he has seen remind him of an archaic time before space travel. Even a dusty world like Tatooine would seem like Coruscant compared to this planet.</p><p>“Yes, they were forbidden until S’Shah killed the last king. He imported them through his unsavory, otherworldly contacts and they became his enforcers. They’ll do anything for him; no matter how depraved!” The wife slams her fist on the table hard enough for it to shake. Bren prevents his cup and Armitage’s cup from spilling with a quick lift. Armitage blinks owlishly at the wife.</p><p>“I’m sorry, little one, it’s just…. frustrating that no one can stand up to him without being killed.”</p><p>“It sounds like you need a rebellion.” Luke chokes on his milk at Bren’s solution. Bren pats him on the back to dislodge the trapped blue milk, and Luke swallows it back down and resumes breathing. Armitage stares at him with blue eyes.</p><p>“The last person to propose a rebellion wound up being burned alive in his along with his family.” Elglih grimly informs them.</p><p>“Considering how I’ve seen many of the common folks wearing rags, I’m guessing paying an assassin is out of the question.”</p><p>“There is no hope.” Elglih whispers.</p><p>“Unless a Serp beats the king in his Doom-Joust.” Bren points out.</p><p>“What is a Doom-Joust?” Luke asks.</p><p>“It’s like regular jousting, but instead of wooden lances, laser-lances are used; they can project bolts of energy. To win, you must unseat your opponent which can be used with the lasers. However, S’Shah prefers his droids to stab his opponents with the tip, thus killing them, which also counts as a victory.” The wife practically spits with disgust.</p><p>“There is one who can defeat the king.” Bren pronounces and looks directly at Elglih. The Serp shakes his head, causing his long white beard to whip in the air.</p><p>“I am too old.”</p><p>“You were reigning champion of the jousts by the time I was ten. Five years ago, I saw you unhorse three knights in a row.”</p><p>“I was jousting flesh, not metal.”</p><p>“They’re droids; there’s probably a way to switch them off or reprogram them.” Luke states.</p><p>“Luuke, it sounds like you can solve the droid problem.” Bren comments.</p><p>“I can, but I can’t guarantee that S’Shah won’t just force the nobles to fight if his droids don’t show up.”</p><p>“You two forget that I would still have to face S’Shah in a duel.” Elglih says.</p><p>“A duel? But jousts don’t have duels.”</p><p>“S’Shah finds it more exciting to kill his challenger with a sword; it gives him time to properly <em>punish </em>them.”</p><p>“Does he have a second?”</p><p>“Yes, but he never needs his squire.”</p><p>“Second? Squire?” Luke asks.</p><p>“In duels, which are sword fights, the squire acts as the second when the knight in question cannot fight but does not want to forfeit the match. Squires study under knights to become knights themselves one day.”</p><p>
  <em>Ah, so it’s like a padawan and a master relationship. </em>
</p><p>“I don’t have a squire.”</p><p>“I’ll be your squire.”</p><p>“I remember you now. You were the boy that took the giant’s hands.”</p><p>“I can take more than hands now.”</p><p>“I don’t doubt that. S’Shah still knows his way around a blade.”</p><p>“I just need to get my armor and my sword.”</p><p>“Bren, what about your son?” Luke inquires.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be safe to involve him.”</p><p>“No, I meant what will happen to him if something were to happen to you?”</p><p>“I have friends who can watch him.”</p><p>*</p><p>After being patched up by Ergo, Antaria decided to spend the rest of her golden cow on two sex workers and then, a few hours later, she decided to treat them to a meal of their choosing. They decided on meat pies from a stall cheerily called <em>A Pound of Flesh</em>. It’s there that she meets the evil Empire that blew up a peaceful planet and oppressing hundreds of systems.</p><p>
  <em>Force, half are just dressed for a tropical vacation, while the other half are officers on a lunch break. And none of them are trying to cut in line! </em>
</p><p>And then, she sees Bahb and quickly deduces that he’s responsible for the Imps’ good behavior. She also sees a human toddler with red hair and green eyes.</p><p>“Wow, Bren actually did it.” She remarks loudly when Bahb is in hearing distance; he pauses in taking the meal order from the Imp and looks in her direction. He grins and then heads her way with Bren’s baby. The sex workers, one a Devaronian female and the other a Gran male, take an interest in the toddler and make funny faces at him.</p><p>“What’s the kid’s name?” She asks.</p><p>“Armitage. He has no surname.”</p><p>“What about the other father’s surname?”</p><p>“He doesn’t have one either.”</p><p>“Good thing for the kid that his name isn’t common.”</p><p>“Neither is Rama’s.”</p><p>“So, he’s the one behind this stall? Any chance we can get a discount?”</p><p>“Quite possible if you do me a favor.”</p><p>“And that would be?”</p><p>Bahb holds out the toddler to her with a wicked smile.</p><p>“You watch him. Besides, it’ll take like thirty minutes to get your order out.” She looks at the long line and sighs. She takes the toddler and asks the sex workers to get her a meaty pie. She walks until she can’t see the stall anymore, but she can still smell the mouthwatering scent of well-seasoned meat. Finally, she puts the toddler down on the side of the dirt road.</p><p>“I’m not carrying you anymore. You’re going to walk.”</p><p>The toddler nods like he understands her and begins to walk like a duck.</p><p>
  <em>He is such a goof! </em>
</p><p>*</p><p>Darth Vader is not on official business for the Empire, though he did facilitate the sale of enforcer droids to Serphidi. His Master doesn’t even know that he’s on this world, but he does know that his Champion is on the hunt for Luke Skywalker. His son is somewhere on this planet, most likely, on a mission for the Rebellion. His is as misguided as his Jedi father once was.</p><p>King S’Shah insisted on a tour of his capital before the tournament. Vader went along with it because there was a chance that Luke is here to deal with this very anti-Rebellion ruler. S’Shah has IG-RM enforcer droids as his royal guard with a few in the crowd to make sure that the Serps are submissive. The Serps keep their eyes down, only the babies and younglings dare to look at the small procession.</p><p>He ignores S’Shah’s ramblings on an Imperial alliance, his aide-de-camp listens in his stead, while he focuses on the Force. It is here, but it does not flow strongly here, let alone in the miserable Serps around him. But there is someone with the Force in the general vicinity. It might be Luke, finally here to bring down the reptilian fool.</p><p>“STOP, THERE’S A CHILD!” Commander Daine Jir shouts suddenly. The troopers halt, but the droids continue their relentless movement. Until they are smoking heaps of droid parts.  </p><p>A Chiss woman with red hair and a red lightsaber has a dusty boot on top of an enforcer’s chest. Vader should Force-choke her, but Armitage appears from behind the Chiss’s legs. His blue eyes look curiously at the droid that was going to crush him and then up to the rest of the crowd. He makes a funny face at the apoplectic S’Shah and then grins at Vader.</p><p>“Vader!” He squeals and runs up to the Sith Lord. He hugs the mechno legs and looks up at him with his green eyes. The Chiss woman depowers her saber and tucks it inside a utility pocket of her belt. She watches him with her ruby red eyes; he’s almost reminded of Thrawn in her level of scrutiny.</p><p>“Ant, it’s Vader!”</p><p>“<em>Antaria</em>.” She chides. Armitage just grins impishly.</p><p>“You blue demon! I shall destroy you!” S’Shah bellows.</p><p>She scoffs and makes an obscene gesture with three fingers that has S’Shah practically foaming at the mouth.</p><p>“Your droids were about to crush Armitage with their clunky feet! If anything, I’m owed recompense for the emotional distress.”</p><p>“How dare—”</p><p>Vader stops paying attention to the squabble. He glances briefly at his aide-de-camp. Jir is trying mightily to keep his face professional. However, the shock in those brown eyes coupled with the frown signals that Jir is not impressed by the Chiss woman. He’s measuring her against Grand Admiral Thrawn, which he really shouldn’t, but Jir knows only one Chiss. Vader knows that this melodramatic woman is not at all like the subdued sky-walkers that were liberated from their enslavement. She also has and knows how to use a lightsaber.</p><p>“Ant eats lizard.” Armitage declares excitedly.</p><p>
  <em>It is tempting to just let her beat this idiot half to death, but then the tournament will be cancelled. </em>
</p><p>“Commander, watch the child.” He orders. Flabbergasted but dutiful, Jir takes Armitage by the hand and leads him some ways away from there.</p><p>“King S’Shah, the tour is incomplete.”</p><p>“A-Ah, Lord Vader, u-uh that is true.”</p><p>“Finish it.” He turns his helm to Antaria. “The child will stay with me.”</p><p>“Alright.” She shrugs. Vader hears Jir let out an audible <em>what</em>.</p><p>“You will tell his parents.”</p><p>“I was going to, so you can quit trying to use persuasion on me.”</p><p>“You are aware of the Force.”</p><p>“I <em>had </em>the Force.”</p><p>“You weren’t a sky-walker.”</p><p>“Pfassk no!”</p><p>“A Jedi.”</p><p>“An Initiate. No Master wanted someone losing their sensitivity, and I had what you would call an attitude problem. It was all well and go since the Clone Wars were around the corner. Besides, being a privateer pays better than bounty hunting.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have that lightsaber.”</p><p>“And you should? The Jinsu Razor isn’t anything special; it’s just a Sith’s lightsaber. Plus, it’s really good at opening doors.” She grins lopsidedly. “I wouldn’t worry about that now. You have a baby to watch.”</p><p>“Toddler.”</p><p>“Well, he’s still defenseless.” She then whispers. <em>“And you have some explaining to do.”</em></p><p>She points at Jir and the troopers behind him. She then takes her leave, whistling tunelessly. Vader knows that Jir and the troopers will keep their mouth shuts for him. They would do anything for him. He just hopes that he won’t need to invoke their loyalty for the rest of the trip.</p><p>
  <em>And I have yet to find Luke. But I will find him. </em>
</p><p>*</p><p>Luke finds it almost comical how easy it was for him to shut down the droids. Elglih’s wife led him to the despot’s castle and then led him to the royal stables. The droids were there, cleaning their giant lizard mounts. The wife acted as a distraction and led the droids out with her intrusion. Then, Luke just whipped out his lightsaber and hacked them into pieces. The return to the cottage took up more of his time.</p><p>Bren is outside the hut. He sports green armor pieces nearly as smooth as Stormtrooper’s cheap armor. His black body glove hugs all the older man’s hard contours. He wields a sword suitable for a man with his musculature, but there’s such a finesse in his movements that exemplify his mastery of his large weapon. However, Luke feels a coldness radiating from the weapon like it was winter instead of summer.</p><p>“How goes the sabotage?” Bren inquires.</p><p>“It was too easy.”</p><p>“I would be concerned, but S’Shah is a bully with no foresight.”</p><p>“There are too many people like him in power.”</p><p>“Might makes right.”</p><p>“It shouldn’t!”</p><p>“There once was a king who believed in might <em>for </em>right. He made an order of knights for that express purpose. For a while, it worked. Princesses were saved, dragons were slain, and peace was maintained.”</p><p>“But it didn’t last.”</p><p>“Nothing ever does.”</p><p>“I guess the king died and his kingdom went to ruin.”</p><p>“The kingdom was already in ruins when he died. He had the last of his knights throw his magical sword into a lake for safekeeping. By the time the knight returned, the king was borne away on his funeral barge. It was prophesized that he would return in the darkest of times when the world had need of him.”</p><p>“And did he return?”</p><p>“I don’t know, but there are stories dealing with the what-ifs of such a return.”</p><p>“What about his sword?”</p><p>“Waiting for his return.”</p><p>“Is your sword his?”</p><p>“No!” Bren lets out honeyed laugh. “My sword is a Sith Sword.”</p><p>“But you’re not a Sith.”</p><p>“I’m not. I found the sword just like I found the armor.”</p><p>“But it’s Sith. Shouldn’t it be killing you?”</p><p>“I’ve had this sword for decades now and I’ve had no problems with it. Perhaps, it’s because I fulfill its purpose.”</p><p>“To kill?”</p><p>“Yes. The sword’s name is <em>Master Killer</em>. I’ve killed plenty of slavers with it.”</p><p>“I thought Sith prefer killing Jedi.”</p><p>“They do. Perhaps, that’s where it got its name. However, I’ve never killed a Jedi with it. They are all dead after all.”</p><p>Bren looks at him though with a strange glimmer of hope.</p><p>*</p><p>Daine Jir isn’t quite sure what to make all of this. First, the trip to Serphidi was not at all part of the original schedule, but he figured Lord Vader was uncovering a Rebel plot on this backwater world. But then the Chiss woman and the child came along.</p><p>The child means something to Lord Vader. If the child was Force-sensitive, then he would be with the Inquisitorius. Perhaps, the child isn’t a real child. Jir has seen real children react with terror in the face of Lord Vader, and understandably so given his appearance and booming voice. Yet, the child, <em>Armitage</em>, smiles as Vader dresses down the boorish king. There’s not a hint of fear in those blue-green eyes.</p><p>“Who are you?” The child turns his attention to him.</p><p>“I am Daine Jir.”</p><p>“<em>Dan-ger</em>?”</p><p>“No, <em>Daine Jir</em>.”   </p><p>“Daine Jir.”</p><p>“That’s right.”</p><p>“I’m Armitage.” The child holds his tiny hand up for a handshake. Jir shakes the little boy’s hand.</p><p>“A pleasure to meet you, Armitage.” <em>Even though this is one of the weirdest situations I’ve been put in. </em></p><p>“Are you Vader’s friend?”</p><p>“I’m his aide.”</p><p>The child knits his orange brows together in deep concentration. Jir decides to help him before the poor lad tires himself out.</p><p>“I help him.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“I keep his schedule.” <em>Speak up when need be, train the troopers, and get someone to clean up the body of a high officer that’s failed him. </em></p><p>“Like time?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“You’re his Rabbit!” The child delights like he’s been given treasure.</p><p>“I suppose so.” <em>Maybe Rabbit is a character from a cartoon? He can’t possibly mean the animal. </em></p><p>“I have space carrots.” The child reaches into his pockets and pulls out a plasticine bag of baby carrots. “Want some?”</p><p>“I don’t eat while I’m on duty.”</p><p>“Suit yourself.” The child opens his bag and munches on a carrot.</p><p>The Chiss woman departs, and Lord Vader returns without a drop of blood on his hands. King S’Shah looks petulantly back at them but says nothing. Jir can hear the Serps making uncomfortable noises, while the children wonder what’s going on with the procession.</p><p>“Commander, the tour shall resume.” Lord Vader says and then turns his mask to Armitage. The child places his half-eaten carrot back into his bag, seals it up, and then stuffs it into his trouser pocket. He holds up his hand to Lord Vader. The black gauntlet swallows up the small hand but does not crush it.</p><p>
  <em>They are such an odd pair. </em>
</p><p>*</p><p>Armitage believes the giant lizards ate all the horses, so the knights must ride them instead. Most of the knights are lizard like but without the slits for eyes. The Lizard King was fuming that his toy bots weren’t coming to play, so he had to get some of the nobles to fill in. They are frowning, clearly not happy about this.  None of the Serps seem to be happy about this tourney.</p><p>“Rabbit?” Vader and the Lizard King are in the platform above them, which is reserved for royalty. Rabbit Jir holds him up, so he can see the tilting grounds.</p><p>“Yes.” Vader’s aide sighs in defeat.</p><p>“Why are the knights here?”</p><p>“To be in the tournament.”</p><p>“But they’re not happy.”</p><p>“Their happiness does not matter.”</p><p>“Then, why do they serve him?”</p><p>“They fear him. They fear what he will do to them if they don’t obey. Even though he offers no order.”</p><p>“He’s a villain.”</p><p>“Yes, and there’s no hero coming to their rescue.”</p><p>“A hero will come!” Armitage declares and earns another sigh from Rabbit. The hero does come in the third match. Elglih and his long, white beard enter the field on his giant lizard; his sire stands to the side dressed up in his green armor and helmet. Armitage smiles at the pair and gets a nod from sire.</p><p>The match begins with the blow from the nasally horn. Elglih knocks his opponent off his lizard with his blunted lance striking the heart. It’s like this for Elglih and his opponents. Each win infuriates the Lizard King more and more until he’s red in the eyes.</p><p>When the final unhappy knight is knocked off his mount, Elglih turns to face the Lizard King.</p><p>“I cannot fight anymore, so my squire will take my place!” Elglih announces and then steps aside for sire to take his place. The Lizard King sneers when sire takes off his helmet. His sire’s red locks blaze under the blazing sun.</p><p>“You’re letting a human welp fight for you? How low of you!”  </p><p>“What’s that? We can’t hear you from all the way down here, milord.” Sire remarks sarcastically, earning a few whistles and laughs from the crowd. The Lizard King growls and stalks down the steps until he finally reaches the ground.  In a few strides, the Lizard King faces sire.</p><p>“Draw your sword, <em>squire</em>.” The Lizard King draws his sword which is large enough to take a giant lizard’s head off.</p><p>“I will when I have to.”</p><p>The Lizard King slashes at him, and sire moves with a nimbleness that surprises the king and Rabbit. The Lizard King thrusts and slashes aggressively at sire, but sire dodges and weaves away from the giant sword. Sire starts speaking in Mando’a and then in Nagaian; Armitage only recognizes a few words, but he knows that sire is taunting his foe. The Lizard King gets angrier, and his movements get sloppier with each failed hit. Finally, he gets tired.</p><p>Sire draws out his sword and then beheads him. Armitage looks back at Rabbit and sees he’s lost all color in his face. He then turns back to sire and notices that the Serps, including Elglih, bow before him. Sire freezes up in surprise.</p><p>“You are our king now.” Elglih proclaims. “What is your decree?”</p><p>“As my first decree as king, I cede the kingship to Elglih. Rise, King Elglih!” Sire orders quickly, and Elglih rises. His people cheer for him.</p><p>“See, Rabbit, I told you a hero would come!”  </p><p>*</p><p>Brendol finds Rama on the bed in a silver robe. The sheets have been freshly changed to emerald ones, and Brendol can smell Rama’s flowery conditioner in the air. Rama turns the page with a flip of his spidery tips.</p><p>“How was the tourney?”</p><p>“I got to kill a stupid despot and became king for like twenty seconds.” Brendol snorts. “How was the stall?”</p><p>“After paying off Bahb and the discounts I gave to Antaria, I made enough Imperial credits to have a grand costume party for Death Night.”</p><p>“Task Force 99 will love that; you know if they can make it.”</p><p>“They will. I’m sure Vader wouldn’t mind lending them to me for a night.”</p><p>“At some point, Vader is going to ask for something in return.”</p><p>“Luke would do.”</p><p>“Funnily enough, I ran into him again, though this time he wasn’t on a mission for the Rebellion. I think he was just pissing time away between missions.”</p><p>“And how did <em>Luuke </em>react to Armitage?”</p><p>“Shocked and then got over it.”</p><p>“He was distracted by you!”</p><p>“I think he might have a crush on me.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t worry about that too much. I’d imagine Old Ben stressed that a Jedi should have <em>no </em>attachments.”</p><p>“I think he’s going to fail.”</p><p>“He is a Skywalker, so yes.”</p><p>“How long do you think it will take for Vader to find out about Luke?”</p><p>“He already knows about him. Why else would he sell some obsolete droids to a petty tyrant on Serphidi? And a trip there is a blatant waste of Imperial taxes.” Rama says in mock horror.</p><p>“Your father is hemorrhaging credits.”</p><p>“Yes. His mind is being eaten away by the Dark Side. I’d be sad if it weren’t so funny.” Rama gives a dark, little laugh, but his eyes are filled with pain.</p><p>
  <em>There will always be that little boy who loved his father more than anything and would’ve done anything to save him.</em>
</p><p>“Enough about the dying Empire, let’s focus on something nice. Like dancing.” Rama leaves his tome on the bed and gets up from the bed. He turns on the music player and hears the most angelic voice come out.</p><p>“Well, Sir William, won’t you dance with me?” Rama holds out his hand. And, of course, Brendol takes it.</p><p>“Of course, my Foxy Lord.”</p><p>*</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Author’s Comments- Here are the links: </p><p>Here is an image of Antaria Wellos. She was one of the few Chiss Jedi in Legends/EU and comes from Star Wars: A Galaxy Divided. She was a very minor character that survived the Great Purge because she took refuge on Rori, one of Naboo’s moons, and was given the Jinsu Razor, a Sith lightsaber with a unique hilt, by the player and was never heard from again: <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/c7/48/c0c748d3f328c9b602e8922aafea81f5.jpg">Link</a></p><p>Here is an image of Brin; he comes from the original Marvel run of SW: <a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/99/Lusubrin_T%27shkali.jpg">Link</a><br/>Here is an image of a Sith Sword that Master Killer is based on: <a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/92/SithSwordForging-BoS.png">Link</a></p><p>Serphidi and their jousting tournaments exist in Legends/EU in Marvel’s original run of SW in issue 64. I haven’t read the comic itself, but I am pretty much using the plot of it for this story. I really wanted to use a captain or a sergeant character (one that wasn’t Sergeant Kreel), but the ones I wanted to use were clones and, by the Originals, they were all retired minus Cody who was teaching Stormtroopers on Kamino in Legends/EU. I then decided to use his aide-de-camp, Commander Daine Jir, because out of Vader’s list of named aides, he’s still on active duty and isn’t a jerk. I just had to add my obligatory A Knight’s Tale reference. </p><p>Next part will be another Death Night with costumes and some Dark Siders crashing the party.</p><p>As of 3/13/21, I need to thank AtlinMerrick for pointing out that some of the links don't work. I've got rid of the ones that I couldn't fix and hopefully the ones that are left work now.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>